H. Jon Benjamin voices characters on the spot for the Worst Gig Ever web series
Mike Pace and Geoff Garlock host the Worst Gig Ever podcast, where they discuss the humble beginnings and most disheartening performances with comedians, musicians, and performers like Chris Gethard, Julie Klausner, John Frusciante, and Colt Cabana. (Think of it as a more in-depth interview version of The A.V. Club's own Stand Down.) Recently they’ve been shooting a video version of the show for the Official Comedy YouTube channel, and have posted the first episode with H. Jon Benjamin.
The highlight of Pace and Garlock’s conversation with Benjamin is when they quickly pitch various animated characters to him, and he comes up with a voice to match the description on the spot. He’s essentially himself as Musky The Musk Ox, a “magical pet who solves crimes and smells terrible,” goes high-pitched for Fart Dog, M.D., and adopts an accent for Leonard DiGeorgio, an Italian Jewish heir to a frozen pizza dynasty who wears a satin 1986 New York Mets jacket and “lives in the Little Italy section of Tel Aviv.” Benjamin is game for just about anything, and his voice acting is diverse enough to encompass Sterling Archer, Bob Belcher, and those Coke Zero ads, so rapid-fire voice characterization isn’t a problem.
Upcoming episodes will feature Jake Fogelnest, Frightened Rabbit, and We Are Scientists. Watch the full 22-minute episode with Benjamin here.